One-Minute Communications Tips Archive
June 2010
Handling Contentious
Questions
You're in a group
meeting or sales call and you've just made a point when someone in the room
challenges you by asking a contentious question.
Whatever the motivations of the person, you have to answer the question. How
should you respond?
Don't take it personally, don't get defensive, and above all, don't rush to
answer.
Sales professionals know that the first objection is rarely the real objection.
Similarly, the contentious question often masks the questioner's real point by
enveloping it with emotionally charged words.
Your task is to strip away the emotion and listen for the core issue. Find it,
and then rephrase the question so it focuses only on this issue.
For example, you can rephrase "Your plan is too complex. You don't really expect
people to go through all these steps, do you?" as "Why are these steps
necessary?"
© Arun Sinha, Access Consulting. Access Consulting is a marketing
communications and technical writing firm based in Stamford, Connecticut, USA.
Sign up for Access Consulting's One-Minute Communication Tip at http://www.AccessConsultingInc.com.
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Archive of Communications Tips :
2010
Wake Up the Post-Lunch Crowd
How to Adapt Content to the Web
Why Active Voice Is Better
How to Establish Your Credibility
5 Tips for Improving Email Subject Lines
Handling Contentious Questions
2009
Improve Your Readability Score
How to Analyze Your Audience
How to Deliver Bad News
Communicating in Stressful Times
Too Many Questions Diminish Your Authority
Introduce Yourself in 30 Seconds
Using Humor in Presentations
How to Achieve Accuracy
2 Tips on Editing Your Writing
Use Anecdotes to Make Your Point
Social Media for Business Networking
Keeping Happy Hour Happy
2008
Should You Be Direct or Indirect?
Marketing With a Central Theme
Criticize Without Leaving Scars
Giving Effective Compliments
Emphasizing an Idea
Web Colors: What Do They Mean?
Dealing With "The Loudest Voice"
The Power of Repetition
How to Blow Your Own Horn
Goodwill, With No Strings Attached
"What's in It for Me?"
Foolproof Proofreading
2007
The Art of Email Subject Lines
Competing With the PowerPoint Screen
Slowing down the Impatient Web User
When to Write Figures, Not Words
How to Ask for Feedback
How to End Your Speech
Do You or Don't You?
To Be Effective, Be Specific
The Key to Sentence Length
Why Disagreements Often Aren't
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